Embarassingly simple wood-working question

[fxpose]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

Well, I guess they make circular saws for southpaws.... But I've never seen one in stores, otherwise I would have gotten one a long time ago and made my life a little easier...

QUOTE: (from a tool site)
"That tool you see in the commercials on TV with dad smiling at Christmas after opening his new circular saw is a direct drive saw. Direct drive, sidewinder, helical drive saws have a motor, generally on the right side of the blade, that is hooked up directly or via a simple helical gear from the motor. This is called a left-blade circular saw. It allows you to see the cut line while holding the tool in your right hand. There are right-blade circular saws for southpaws, but the left-handed people we know struggle along with right handed tools."

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EDIT: Now, I'm a little puzzled. I just visited the Skilsaw site and they've got a majority of their standard 7 1/4" circular saws with blades on the right side, but no mention of southpaw users.
Their larger worm drive saws all have blades on the left side.

I have 2 circular saws, one standard, one worm drive, and both have blades on the left side. I always thought that was the norm for all circular saws....

[kebwi]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

Thanks. They do seem to make them both ways and as far as I can tell, there are arguments both ways...which means maybe it doesn't make any difference.

...I'm new to this...my dad had a great woodshop when I was a kid and I did lots of small projects on my own, but I never ventured past drills and jigsaws when it came to his power tools. Now I'm 34 and I literally don't know how to old a circular saw. It's humiliating. :-)

Cheers!

[fxpose]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

I hold, trigger, and push my circular saw with my left hand. The blade is on the left, motor to the right.
Like I said, I've never seen a circular saw designed for left handed users (blade on the right side)

[kebwi]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

GAH! I can't follow you at all. When you saw right-handed saw, I don't know which one you mean by that, thus my terminology above. Let me break it down here.

Do you hold your saw's trigger handle, the one in the rear, with your left or right hand?

Is your saw's blade on the left side of the motor or the right side of the motor?

That's it, that's all I want to know. :-)

[fxpose]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

I didn't realize they made left handed circular saws (and I've owned several over the years). I'm so used to using my "right handed" circular saw with my left hand that it doesn't feel awkward and hinder its use.

[kebwi]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

I don't understand that comment at all. What do you mean run the blade backwards? I was just talking about which hand you hold it with.

[dmun]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

Saw motors aren't reversible like drills: you're going to get precious little traction running a saw blade backwards. These things are unsafe enough as it is.

[kebwi]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

So, do those of you who use hand-held circular saws prefer your blade on the inside of the saw (blade left of saw for righties, vs/va for lefties) or on the outside of the saw (blade right of saw for righties, vs/va for lefties)? I am weary to designate either saw design as right or left handed because my internet research has suggested there is minimal consensus on this terminology such that we might misunderstand each other in this discussion, so go with the terminology I used if possible.

Seems natural to me to want the blade on the inside so you can see it clearly, but I have read that the sawdust will basically be thrown away from the saw, thus into you with an inside blade and away from you with an outside blade. I also read that if the saw catches and jumps, it is more likely to jump away from the saw, which is a major argument in favor of the blade-outside usage...but then you can't see the blade.

Thoughts?

[charlesaf3]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

actually, though I'm glad it works for you, supporting a hot masonry mass on wood is something I've got no problem knocking and not trying

It can work, no doubt - see old whaling ships etc. But I'd have trouble recommending it as an approach for most people... considering the work and money involved in building a WFO it seems not worth the risk.

[Vickie]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

As a side note: you're building forms with the wood, right? You're not trying to support your oven on a wood frame?

I did... it works just fine. Don't knock it until you've tried it.

[charlesaf3]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

I have a bunch of these tools (including a 1954 shopsmtih, which is a table saw, drill press, and lathe combo). But my Bosch Jigsaw is an amazing tool, it can rip or crosscut and stays very straight! I tend to pull it out much more than my circular saw.

Drake

I love bosch jigsaws. I own 2 or 3, D handle and Barrel. Even a 30 year old screw change. Still no way I would use it for that unless I had no other choice - it would be an exercise in frustration.

For those reading, if you insist on using a jigsaw, the appropriate blade choice will make your life a lot easier.

To put together oven framing, (or house framing for that matter) the tools I would use would be a chop saw, a circular saw, and a pneumatic framing gun - hitachi NR83 of course... considered the gold standard around here.

A handsaw and hammer will work as well, and are what most masons use, along with a worm drive saw with a brick blade in it if they have juice

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

I have a bunch of these tools (including a 1954 shopsmtih, which is a table saw, drill press, and lathe combo). But my Bosch Jigsaw is an amazing tool, it can rip or crosscut and stays very straight! I tend to pull it out much more than my circular saw.

Drake

[charlesaf3]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

you need a miter saw, often called a chop saw.

Chop saws cut boards to length
Table saws make boards skinnier
Hand held circular saws - ie skilsaws - can do anything, but it will be sloppy in the hands of someone without expertise.
a sabre or jigsaw is good for cutting curves. For cutting things to length or width it will frustrate the heck out of you. Probably the least useful saw for most people.

You can make any saw do anything, but life is easier if you use a tool for what its designed for.

[drogers]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

A good hand saw is very handy when you have a small project. It saves dragging electric cords. I have numerous power tools, but I frequently opt for hand tools in these situations.

[christo]

Re: Embarassingly simple wood-working question

I agree. If I had only one saw for all purposes, it would be my sabre saw. It will cut as straight as you can - but takes longer. I think I could have cut all needed forms and arch support jigs with this one saw.

For my oven and patio, I think I used about every tool I have to cut wood. Radial arm saw (uneasy feeling everytime I use it), table saw, chop saw (love it for fast accurate angles), Circular saw, sabre saw, hand saw.

For the hardiplank trim at the top of the oven, I rigged up a fence to my harbor frieght tile saw and ripped them to width under water spray.

Christo